


The Pathos of Things

by yaaan93



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Beaches, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, High School, Inarizaki, M/M, Philosophy, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Slice of Life, Sunrises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26674324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaaan93/pseuds/yaaan93
Summary: While watching the sunrise together, Aran and Kita reflect on their final year of high school and the future that lies before them.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Ojiro Aran
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	The Pathos of Things

**Author's Note:**

> __  
> [mono no aware:](https://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/mono-no-aware-the-gentle-sadness-of-things/) or “the sadness or pathos of things”. It refers to the bittersweet feeling of seeing things change, the act of watching time pass, as if from the outside looking in.  
> 

Kita was always a boy of routine. From the way he methodically ate his lunch to the way he cleaned the volleyball facilities every day after practice, he was careful and consistent in all his actions.

It thus came as no surprise to his teammates when Kita had established a routine for himself after arriving at their annual training camp. He would wake up at 5:30AM sharp, brush his teeth, get changed, and head down for breakfast in that order. So, when Aran awoke at 5AM one morning and found Kita’s futon empty, he was quite shocked.

Because it was early morning, the crows outside had already begun cawing loudly, and Aran found himself unable to go back to sleep. Heaving a big sigh, he grabbed his backpack from beside him and got up. Quietly manoeuvring his way around his sleeping teammates, he exited their sleep quarters and headed towards the bathroom to get ready for the day. Once that was done, he went downstairs, pausing when he heard shuffling near the front of the lodge. Following the source of the noise, he spotted his missing teammate sitting by the front door.

“Kita?” he whispered, observing as the boy zipped up his backpack before putting on his shoes. “Where you going?”

“Oh, Aran. Good morning.” Kita greeted in response. “I’m headed out for a walk.”

“Why so early?” Aran asked. Despite waking up even earlier than usual, he noted that Kita did not look tired at all.

“Granny told me that there was a beach nearby where you can catch the sunrise. She said it was real pretty.”

“A beach?”

“Yeah, it’s called Takeno Beach. Figured I might as well check it out while we’re here.” explained Kita. Slinging his bag over his shoulders, he stood up and gestured his head towards the door. “Wanna come?”

“Oh,” Aran remarked, glancing at the time on his phone. There were still two hours left before everyone was supposed to get up. “Yeah, let me just grab something to eat on the way.”

* * *

It was still dark outside when they left the lodge, the air cool and crisp with the kind of freshness one couldn’t get in the big city. The only thing signaling the time of day was the sound of birds chirping from the surrounding trees as the two walked down the dimly lit trail connected to their accommodations. They followed a series of signs that pointed them towards their destination, and as they inched closer and closer, the gentle sound of waves and salty smell of seawater greeted their senses.

By the time they arrived at the beach, the sun was already beginning to peak over the horizon. It illuminated the skies with soft cotton candied hues, casting a gentle light on the white sands that lined the Takeno coast.

Aran paused momentarily, caught up in the impressive view before him. Noticing that Kita had already gone ahead, he jogged after him, stopping a couple metres before the shoreline where Kita had neatly laid down a towel he had been carrying in his bag.

“Come, sit.” Kita said, gesturing to the towel before sitting down.

After taking a seat next to his friend, Aran stared out quietly before him, entranced by the movements of the waves as they rolled towards the shore and the way the waters sparkled dazzling beneath the rising sun. He thought that it really _was_ worth getting up early for this. Had they gone with the whole team, the tranquility of the moment might have been shattered with the inevitable bickering of the Miya twins. Still, as he gazed out at the horizon, there was something that piqued at his curiosity.

“Y’know, I never pegged you as the type to go out and see the sunrise.” Aran said, breaking the silence.

“Why not?” Kita asked, turning to face him.

“I dunno. Figured you were so set in your routine, doing things a certain way, that you never bothered with these little things.”

“What’s with that assumption?” Kita laughed lightly. “I can’t have some fun every now and then?”

“I didn’t mean anything by that!” Aran explained, putting his hands up in defense. “It’s just… unusual for you I guess.”

Kita shot Aran a quick look before returning his gaze to the sea.

“D’you remember learning about Motoori Norinaga in Japanese literature class a few weeks back?” he asked suddenly.

“Motoori Norinaga?” Aran repeated, mind running through the list of historical figures he had previously learned about. “Oh yeah, he wrote about the Tale of Genji, right?”

“Yep, and central to his analysis of the legend was the concept of _mono no aware_ , the pathos of things.”

“I remember,” Aran nodded, “It’s that bittersweet feeling you get when you acknowledge the passage of time, when you realize that nothing lasts forever.”

“That’s right.”

“Okay but hold up. I’m not really sure I get you, Kita.” Aran frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You reckoned that I’d never fall out of my usual routine,” Kita began, eyes still trained on the water. “Well, I was doing our readings on the bus ride here, and _mono no aware_ popped up. It got me thinking about our motto – ‘who needs memories’ – which I honestly never really liked, ‘cause we _do_ need them. It made me realize that this is the last year you, me, Ohmimi, and Akagi will get to attend training camp with the rest of the guys, play volleyball together, and just make memories.”

Kita turned to Aran, only to be met with the boy’s contemplative expression.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to just throw all of that on you.” Kita chuckled, gazing up at the sky. “It’s just… sure, it feels good waking up at the same time every day, going through the same routine, but then we miss out on moments like these. Even after we’re long gone, the beach, the sun, the skies will remain, but we won’t be here to enjoy it. So don’tcha think we might as well enjoy the moment while it lasts?”

Aran glanced at Kita and nodded slowly. He was right. Compared to the rest of the day, sunrise only lasted a few hours. And right now, the two of them were the only ones here to witness it. But in about four, five hours time, the sun would be out in all its glory. This tranquil and peaceful moment would be lost, with not a single soul but them aware that it ever occurred.

“You’re right, we should enjoy this moment.” Aran responded thoughtfully. “And I guess I should thank you for inviting me here.”

“Yeah, that’s no problem. I’m glad you’re here with me, Aran.”

“Oh, yeah?” Aran responded, taken aback at the sudden remark “Wait, why?”

“Life goes on, people come and go. And while I’m proud to call you all my friends, the fact is that we’re all gonna go our own separate ways. I ain’t continuing volleyball after graduation, but you might. No, you _will,_ ‘cause you’re that good. Anyway, we’ll be worlds apart, which is why I’m trying to treasure every moment of this year. And this very moment, Aran?” Kita paused, pointing at the sunrise. “I’m gonna treasure and remember this moment for the rest of my life, as well as the fact _you’re_ the one I’m sharing this memory with.”

Aran gaped slightly at the candid nature of Kita’s words. Sure, the other boy had always been very blunt, but he never got _personal_ with them. And while he knew that out of all their teammates, he was the one that was closest to Kita, to hear him actually _say_ that he preferred Aran’s company left him feeling quite flustered.

“Oi, Kita! Why’re you making this sound so sad and sentimental?” Aran laughed, trying to shake off the strange feeling building within him. “Yeah, we might go our own ways, but we’re still gonna be friends for life!”

“Friends for life, huh?” Kita mused. “Yeah. I like the sound of that.”

Unbeknownst to Aran at the time, something about being _just_ friends for life didn’t sit well with Kita. He wasn’t sure why, though, so he let that feeling pass by.

* * *

Time had flown by after that. Inarizaki lost to Karasuno at Nationals and the third years graduated, all venturing off on their own paths. Akagi and Ohmimi had gone off to university, while Aran moved to Osaka after being signed by the Tachibana Red Falcons. As for Kita, he decided to move to the countryside and help out at his family’s rice farm. It was a lifestyle that suited him – one filled with routine, diligence, and productivity.

The morning that he and Aran shared by Takeno beach seemed so long ago. In the words of Motoori Norinaga, that moment was fleeting, and so life went on. And yet, something changed between the two of them on that day. Their relationship shifted into something deeper, more meaningful. While that particular moment was lost to time, it was the very memory of it, as well as the feelings that it sparked, that lead them to where they were today.

Kita was sitting on the couch, having just showered after a night of celebrations at Onigiri Miya. Osamu had been using the upstairs portion of his store as an apartment, and allowed Kita to stay the night after inviting him to watch Japan’s volleyball match against Argentina with him and his patrons. Some of his former teammates had also shown up, filling the restaurant with boos and cheers as they watched the game unfold.

Pulling out his phone, Kita scrolled through his contacts and tapped on the video call button. A few moments later, he was greeted by the handsome face of his boyfriend which glowed with exhilaration and excitement. The loud and raucous cheering of his teammates could be heard in the background, evidence of the match’s results.

“Shinsuke!!” Aran greeted, voice hoarse from yelling. “Did you watch us? We did it!”

“You know I did,” Kita laughed. “Even showed you off to all the customers in Samu’s store. “Congratulations, Aran.”

“Thanks!” the man cheered before exiting the locker room and making his way towards a more secluded area of the arena. “Oh, I got a surprise for ya!”

“What is it?”

“I got you and Granny tickets to the next game!” Aran announced proudly. “And don’t you worry about the farm. We already made arrangements to have some of your relatives take over for the next few days.”

“This is really last minute.” Kita laughed, finding Aran’s enthusiasm rather infectious. “I don’t suppose you made arrangements for our transportation too?”

“You betcha!” Aran replied. “Train tickets, accommodations, I got you all covered. So whaddya say?”

“Sounds good.” Kita nodded, feeling his heart beating with anticipation for the days to come. “Can’t wait to see ya.”

Kita was always a man of routine – that much hadn’t changed since he was little. What did change, however, was his willingness to take a little detour every now and then. After all, time was fleeting, so why not savour every little moment you can?

And when the day came where both he and Aran were old and grey, they’d recount the memories they held onto throughout the years. They’d reminisce on that day by the beach and be thankful that that moment – no matter how fleeting – was what brought them together.

**Author's Note:**

> I first learned about the term _mono no aware_ in university when I took some Japanese history courses for my major. Based on my lecture notes, Motoori Norinaga believed it to be a quintessentially Japanese concept, and I figured that since Kita was raised by his grandma, who seems rather traditional, a fic centred around this theme would suit him. I was then re-reading the Inarizaki arc in preparation for the airing of To the Top Part 2 next week and loved the interactions between Aran and Kita as they walked home from school. I put two and two together and this fic was born! Lol. 
> 
> You can read more about _mono no aware_ [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware).
> 
> Also the beach Aran and Kita go to is based off the actual [Takeno Beach](http://www.takeno-kanko.com/en/) in Hyogo Prefecture.


End file.
